The invention relates to microscope slides, and more particularly to microscope slides having the capability of containing and preserving many biological samples without cross contamination therebetween.
Microbiologists and other personnel employed by diagnostic laboratories and the like commonly perform various analyses of biological samples by viewing the biological samples on slides through microscopes. For some tests, large numbers of biological samples are required. In the past, single conventional rectangular glass microscope slides have been used, each supporting only a few separate biological samples. Typically, small amounts of petroleum jelly are dabbed on several locations of a single conventional glass microscope slide. A minute biological sample is placed within a well formed by each dab of petroleum jelly, and then a thin glass cover plate is pressed onto the top surface of the slide, smearing each biological sample and also the surrounding petroleum jelly, thereby sealing each sample and preserving it in condition for viewing through a high power microscope. A basic problem with the conventional approach to supporting samples on conventional glass slides is the very large number of microscope slides that must be identified, labelled, transported, and sold, and otherwise manipulated during the overall process of preparing and analyzing large numbers of biological samples. The cover plate has to be thin, in order to allow high power microscope lens to be moved close enough to the sample to bring it into focus without striking the upper surface of the cover plate. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for microscope operators to hit the cover plate with the lens of a microscope during adjustment thereof, possibly squeezing some of the sample out of the region in which it is confined.
It is clear that there remains an unmet need for an economical, durable microscope slide which can be used to adequately prepare and preserve numerous biological samples in condition for observation by conventional high powered microscopes, to thereby reduce the amount of slide handling, and easing the tasks of preserving the identity and integrity of all of the biological samples.